Bulls push ahead on 15-wicket day

Queensland joined Victoria on 22 points at the top of the Sheffield Shield table on a day when 15 wickets fell at the Gabba. Ten of those were in Western Australia's first innings, which concluded for a mere 111 after the visitors had been sent in.

Conditions in Brisbane were helpful to seam bowlers but not exactly unplayable, yet the Warriors were rounded up in only 51.5 overs, Adam Voges the only man to threaten a score of substance in making 38 while wickets fell around him.

The Bulls shared the wickets, Cameron Gannon nipping out four and James Hopes three, Matthew Gale accounting for the in-form Shaun Marsh. Michael Hussey was a victim of Gannon, edging behind for five.

Setting off in pursuit of a meagre total, Greg Moller and Luke Pomersbach guided Queensland to 83 without loss, before WA's bowlers struck in the final session. Newly announced as a developmental tourist to India, the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar claimed another two wickets as the Bulls slipped to 5 for 100.

However Hopes and Chris Hartley, captain and deputy, guided their side into the lead and an imposing position by the close.

I see that Marsh followed his 155 in the List A game with 7 from 48 balls in the Shield match. Despite a second innings 84, his Shield average this season from 4 matches and 8 innings stands at 19 at a S/R of 36, taking his career average to 35.77. When matched against his Test average of 27, I had to look for the men in white coats carrying the sleeveless jacket when Warne suggested dropping Hughes for Marsh and bring in the equally poorly performed Ferguson. Its usually at the 4-5 game mark that Marsh has a recurrence of his back difficulties and disappears for the rest of the season. A quick look at the season averages of Marshes WA team mates explains why he is still getting a game. He is prone to short bursts of form-usually a hundred, followed by an eighty, followed by a twenty or teen score, then a run of single digit scores and noughts.The word 'class' is sometimes used to describe players who can look good in the right conditions.To me, class is an attitude-one Marsh lacks.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 5, 2013, 0:34 GMT

@blink182alex on (February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT) - the Hopes example is a good one, but I think the main story is that at the moment (on average), our bowlers are superior to our batsmen. The Day 1 pitch at the Gabba was not all that favourable to the bowlers. What I believe (hope) will happen, is a bloke who averages high 30s in Shield atm, would be capable of averaging low to mid 40s in Test cricket. This is NOT something I would of said 10 to 20 years ago, but I look at Sth Oz, & their bowling stocks (despite being one of the poorer performing states), can aford to leave out George & Richardson at times this year, & did well recently without Putland as well! I think our batsmen are too INFECTED by 20/20 cricket & we are the most country other than India to that problem. Flat pitches may boost a batsmen's domestic stats - but will it make them much better in Tests?

POSTED BY
blink182alex
on | February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT

It seems as if most of the wickets this season in the shield have all heavily favored seam bowlers. There have been so many low totals this season that i feel is not in the best interest of australian cricket as a whole. All seam bowlers seem to have a sub 30 bowling average which is normally a marker for a good bowler. I mean James Hopes is averaging 15 in the Shield this season, which is a good 20 fewer than what his bowling would reflect on true pitches.

This means batsmen are struggling to consistently make 100's, and the spinners don't get many overs or conditions to bowl attackingly in. I think it's no coincedence that there are so many good quicks in the Australia sides but a lack of batsmen knocking on the selectors doors with 45+ averages with many centuries, same with the lack of spin resources.

They should make the pitches flatter.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:06 GMT

Really dissappointed with Burns dismissal. He was probably the only QLDer to throw his wicket away. The openers did such a good job for QLD @ 0/83 - this was heading for an embarrassing defeat for WA. Good fightback, they are back in the game.
== == ==
Agar - was a bit unlucky not to have had more than 2 wickets!

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:03 GMT

@crickeymate on (February 04 2013, 10:21 AM GMT) - Actually when you think about it, there is quite a lot of bloody good bowlers that can't get a game for Oz. Butterworth, Putland, Sayer & Coulter-Nile top the list, but spare a thought for O'Keefe, Copeland & Bollinger!

POSTED BY
crickeymate
on | February 4, 2013, 10:21 GMT

Gannon, the one consistent bowler this season and can't get a game for australia. O,how i would love to be a selector. Shades of Andrew Macdonald a few years back. Luckily Gannon has youth on his side.

POSTED BY
hyclass
on | February 5, 2013, 9:38 GMT

I see that Marsh followed his 155 in the List A game with 7 from 48 balls in the Shield match. Despite a second innings 84, his Shield average this season from 4 matches and 8 innings stands at 19 at a S/R of 36, taking his career average to 35.77. When matched against his Test average of 27, I had to look for the men in white coats carrying the sleeveless jacket when Warne suggested dropping Hughes for Marsh and bring in the equally poorly performed Ferguson. Its usually at the 4-5 game mark that Marsh has a recurrence of his back difficulties and disappears for the rest of the season. A quick look at the season averages of Marshes WA team mates explains why he is still getting a game. He is prone to short bursts of form-usually a hundred, followed by an eighty, followed by a twenty or teen score, then a run of single digit scores and noughts.The word 'class' is sometimes used to describe players who can look good in the right conditions.To me, class is an attitude-one Marsh lacks.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 5, 2013, 0:34 GMT

@blink182alex on (February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT) - the Hopes example is a good one, but I think the main story is that at the moment (on average), our bowlers are superior to our batsmen. The Day 1 pitch at the Gabba was not all that favourable to the bowlers. What I believe (hope) will happen, is a bloke who averages high 30s in Shield atm, would be capable of averaging low to mid 40s in Test cricket. This is NOT something I would of said 10 to 20 years ago, but I look at Sth Oz, & their bowling stocks (despite being one of the poorer performing states), can aford to leave out George & Richardson at times this year, & did well recently without Putland as well! I think our batsmen are too INFECTED by 20/20 cricket & we are the most country other than India to that problem. Flat pitches may boost a batsmen's domestic stats - but will it make them much better in Tests?

POSTED BY
blink182alex
on | February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT

It seems as if most of the wickets this season in the shield have all heavily favored seam bowlers. There have been so many low totals this season that i feel is not in the best interest of australian cricket as a whole. All seam bowlers seem to have a sub 30 bowling average which is normally a marker for a good bowler. I mean James Hopes is averaging 15 in the Shield this season, which is a good 20 fewer than what his bowling would reflect on true pitches.

This means batsmen are struggling to consistently make 100's, and the spinners don't get many overs or conditions to bowl attackingly in. I think it's no coincedence that there are so many good quicks in the Australia sides but a lack of batsmen knocking on the selectors doors with 45+ averages with many centuries, same with the lack of spin resources.

They should make the pitches flatter.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:06 GMT

Really dissappointed with Burns dismissal. He was probably the only QLDer to throw his wicket away. The openers did such a good job for QLD @ 0/83 - this was heading for an embarrassing defeat for WA. Good fightback, they are back in the game.
== == ==
Agar - was a bit unlucky not to have had more than 2 wickets!

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:03 GMT

@crickeymate on (February 04 2013, 10:21 AM GMT) - Actually when you think about it, there is quite a lot of bloody good bowlers that can't get a game for Oz. Butterworth, Putland, Sayer & Coulter-Nile top the list, but spare a thought for O'Keefe, Copeland & Bollinger!

POSTED BY
crickeymate
on | February 4, 2013, 10:21 GMT

Gannon, the one consistent bowler this season and can't get a game for australia. O,how i would love to be a selector. Shades of Andrew Macdonald a few years back. Luckily Gannon has youth on his side.

No featured comments at the moment.

POSTED BY
crickeymate
on | February 4, 2013, 10:21 GMT

Gannon, the one consistent bowler this season and can't get a game for australia. O,how i would love to be a selector. Shades of Andrew Macdonald a few years back. Luckily Gannon has youth on his side.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:03 GMT

@crickeymate on (February 04 2013, 10:21 AM GMT) - Actually when you think about it, there is quite a lot of bloody good bowlers that can't get a game for Oz. Butterworth, Putland, Sayer & Coulter-Nile top the list, but spare a thought for O'Keefe, Copeland & Bollinger!

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 4, 2013, 11:06 GMT

Really dissappointed with Burns dismissal. He was probably the only QLDer to throw his wicket away. The openers did such a good job for QLD @ 0/83 - this was heading for an embarrassing defeat for WA. Good fightback, they are back in the game.
== == ==
Agar - was a bit unlucky not to have had more than 2 wickets!

POSTED BY
blink182alex
on | February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT

It seems as if most of the wickets this season in the shield have all heavily favored seam bowlers. There have been so many low totals this season that i feel is not in the best interest of australian cricket as a whole. All seam bowlers seem to have a sub 30 bowling average which is normally a marker for a good bowler. I mean James Hopes is averaging 15 in the Shield this season, which is a good 20 fewer than what his bowling would reflect on true pitches.

This means batsmen are struggling to consistently make 100's, and the spinners don't get many overs or conditions to bowl attackingly in. I think it's no coincedence that there are so many good quicks in the Australia sides but a lack of batsmen knocking on the selectors doors with 45+ averages with many centuries, same with the lack of spin resources.

They should make the pitches flatter.

POSTED BY
Meety
on | February 5, 2013, 0:34 GMT

@blink182alex on (February 4, 2013, 12:21 GMT) - the Hopes example is a good one, but I think the main story is that at the moment (on average), our bowlers are superior to our batsmen. The Day 1 pitch at the Gabba was not all that favourable to the bowlers. What I believe (hope) will happen, is a bloke who averages high 30s in Shield atm, would be capable of averaging low to mid 40s in Test cricket. This is NOT something I would of said 10 to 20 years ago, but I look at Sth Oz, & their bowling stocks (despite being one of the poorer performing states), can aford to leave out George & Richardson at times this year, & did well recently without Putland as well! I think our batsmen are too INFECTED by 20/20 cricket & we are the most country other than India to that problem. Flat pitches may boost a batsmen's domestic stats - but will it make them much better in Tests?

POSTED BY
hyclass
on | February 5, 2013, 9:38 GMT

I see that Marsh followed his 155 in the List A game with 7 from 48 balls in the Shield match. Despite a second innings 84, his Shield average this season from 4 matches and 8 innings stands at 19 at a S/R of 36, taking his career average to 35.77. When matched against his Test average of 27, I had to look for the men in white coats carrying the sleeveless jacket when Warne suggested dropping Hughes for Marsh and bring in the equally poorly performed Ferguson. Its usually at the 4-5 game mark that Marsh has a recurrence of his back difficulties and disappears for the rest of the season. A quick look at the season averages of Marshes WA team mates explains why he is still getting a game. He is prone to short bursts of form-usually a hundred, followed by an eighty, followed by a twenty or teen score, then a run of single digit scores and noughts.The word 'class' is sometimes used to describe players who can look good in the right conditions.To me, class is an attitude-one Marsh lacks.